Unknown to the Headmaster young Maximilian not only survived, but prospered in his new home – the Malfi Central Precinct Arbites Training Facility, a sprawling compound of shared with hundreds of thousands of other Arbites candidates. To Maximilian it was very much like another orphanage, and he knew how to survive in one of those. How to obey the rules as needed, how to make himself useful, and how not to make waves. Some things were new, the many practical and theoretic classes, the intense physical and mental conditioning, and the unwavering discipline and faith in the Emperor's Divine Law. But these new things also suited Maximilian well, and he grew tall and broad, strong and enduring. His intellect and perceptive abilities also placed him at the head of his class when it came to more mentally include topics. And his dedication to the Imperium and the Law – or justice as he used to call it – left nothing to be desired.

His consistent good scores and altogether desirable behavior brought him to the attention of his superiors, marking him for possible advanced training at some later date. His low birth would make reaching a high rank very difficult indeed, but at the very least he was marked as someone who might fulfill a specialist role or even lead a smaller department once he has amassed sufficient experience. In the meantime has was admitted into the Cadet Reserve – a pool of older Cadets used to back up full Arbites as needed, particularly during riot suppression work – and placed upon an extended curriculum aimed at improving his combat and other skills. Over the course of the last two years of his time at the Academy his was commended thrice; twice for exceptional zeal and dedication during two putting down mass-riots in the Norumo hab-ledges, and once for exemplary service to the Imperium of Man. The later commendation came as a result of Maximilian organizing a band of other Cadets to deal with certain other Cadets who had taken to trafficking in various illegal substances; the perps were detained, proof presented. The verdict was not long in coming.

At age eighteen Maximilian graduated in the top one percent of his class, and based upon his previous Cadet experience he was immediately promoted to Enforcer. His assignment request was accepted and he transferred to Norumo Control, the central Precinct for that part of Malif. The Norumo hab-ledges are not an entirely bad place to live; the ledges are fairly well-maintained and well-regulated. The chief problem is the massive unemployment rate; the Norumo ledges doesn't really produce anything worthwhile outside of meeting basic local demands. Out of a total population of more than one billion, as many as forty percent are more or less permanently unemployed, with certain areas having near-total unemployment rates. Those that live there subsist on charity, government vouchers, and odd jobs. Altogether not a bad life, but unfortunately one filled with too much time and nothing to do. And minds without purpose have a tendency to wander into dark places, which in Arbites terms means that pretty crime is rife and that the area is a hotbed of dissent and subversion.

One of the chief tasks of the Norumo Arbites, and the task that Maximilian was assigned, is dealing with possible troublemakers or subversive sentiments before they can erupt into widespread rioting; its much easier to stop a mass-riot before it can gather momentum than to disperse crowds of tens or hundreds of thousands of the idle angry. It also keep down collateral damage from rioting and keeps the habi-prisons from becoming completely overcrowded with rioters (with possible riots within the prisons as a result). Maximilian spent a few years there, using his skills to good effect, identifying and rooting out potential troublemakers before they could become something more. There were more than enough riot to be sure, but the Norumo Arbites are very good at what they do, and during this period there were no truly major riots, which reflected quite well on Maximilian.

Seeing his continued potential Maximilian was promoted to a Regulator rank and tasked with bringing justice to even the most remote parts of the ledges. Bands of Enforcers and Regulators, led by senior Arbitrators would go out into the hive levels, and seize whatever criminals they could find. Sometimes such criminals would be brought back to Precinct, but more often than not they were dealt with on the spot, or in Field Courts erected for the educating of the locals. One again Maximilian shoved true promise; combining courage and ruthlessness with great zeal and a knack for both finding perps and bringing them to justice. One of his more noteworthy successes was the breaking of the small criminal empire centered around the orphanages of sector-level 7A4.5/9, and the public execution of its vile ruler, Headmaster Guilus. His crimes are too numerous to mention, but few where those who lamented his passing.

Promoted again at age twenty-two Maximilian had to make a difficult choice. He could either continue his good world on the streets of Malfi as a full-blown Chastener in charge of his own unit of lawbringers, or he could send in a transfer request and ask to be considered for Investigator duties. The matter was decided when his superior told him he'd write him a sterling recommendation for investigator. Not only that, but he felt quite strongly that Maximilian had a special gift for finding answers and in wringing the truth out of even the most hardened of criminals. Maximilian's application was accepted and he transferred back to Central Precinct for advanced training. That night his old unit held a big party to see him off, and his old boss drank himself into blissful stupor.